September 28/07 6:45 am - Bettini Injunction Fails

Posted by Editor on 09/28/07

Bettini Injunction Fails

The attempt by the City of Stuttgart to block the participation of defending champion Paolo Bettini in the elite men's road race on Sunday has failed. After the UCI refused to stop Bettini from racing for not signing the anti-doping declaration they requested all riders to sign, the City tried a legal route, by asking the courts to agree that the declaration was required and legally binding. However, the courts disagreed with the City's interpretation. The City has agreed to abide by the ruling.

The full text of the statement:

The Stuttgart District Court has dismissed the petition to grant a preliminary injunction. The court has ruled that the "Agreement on the Anti-Doping Measures for the UCI Road World Championships 2007 in Stuttgart" is not legally binding in regard to the pledge.

Lord Mayor Dr Wolfgang Schuster and the Mayor for Culture, Education and Sport Dr Susanne Eisenmann regretted the court's ruling. The city will accept the decision and will not be taking any further legal steps.

Lord Mayor Schuster: "After the ruling, we are sticking to our demand that the UCI must abide by the Agreement on the Anti-Doping Measures signed on 26th July 2007. Ultimately the question as to whether Paolo Bettini starts or not is not a legal one but it's about the credibility of cycling. The UCI has to realise themselves what they are signalling when they guarantee Bettini's start - he still refuses to sign the pledge. It's definitely not a sign of a new beginning."